SHEDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL was created in 2020 by producers Francesca Moody and Harriet Bolwell, and writer/performer Gary McNair. It started life as an online festival of the best of the Fringe stalwarts of theatre, music and comedy, all performed live from two sheds at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and Soho Theatre in London as well as remotely at artists own sheds and streamed into people’s homes throughout August. In the Summer of 2021, VAULT Creative Arts came on board as co-producers for the second edition of SHEDINBURGH, alongside Francesca Moody Productions and Popcorn Group.
“A programme that reads like a greatest hits of fringes past”
The Guardian
SHEDINBURGH 2021 featured a four-strand programme of world-class entertainment including:
- SHEDINBURGH Main Programme: a stellar line-up of shed-based versions of seminal fringe favourites from the last decade plus old, new and unseen work from Fringe stars and comedians whose careers were launched at the Fringe. The comedy programme featured Harry Hill, Mark Thomas, Sikisa, Helen Bauer, Joe Thomas, Rachel Fairburn, and a special live episode of The Guilty Feminist. The theatre programme featured an exciting range of sell-out, award-winning shows from Edinburgh Fringe Festivals of the past including Iphigenia in Splott by Gary Owen and performed by Sophie Melville, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons by Sam Steiner, Build a Rocket by Chris White, Love Letters to the Transport System by Molly Taylor, and Funeral Flowers by Emma Dennis-Edwards. Jonny Donahoe (Every Brilliant Thing) performed his new one-person-show Forgiveness, a show about becoming a father and the cycles of abuse that form and affect who we are, and Scottish artist, Robert Softley performed his international smash-hit If These Spasms Could Speak.
- SHEDINBURGH Newcomers: The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has historically been the launch pad of as yet unknown artists who go on to become global superstars like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Trevor Noah and Flight of the Conchords. The Newcomers programme featured work from some of the most exciting up and coming artists, handpicked in partnership with co-producers VAULT Creative Arts.
- SHEDINBURGH Originals: A series of special one-off short pieces and original work created for the shed by some of the most exciting and high profile talent to come out of EdFringe.
- SHEDx: The festival nod to TEDx, a series of free to watch 10 minutes talks from key industry talent around the theme of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. SHEDx aimed to inspire, educate, reminisce and advocate for change. Featuring playwright and performer Jo Clifford, Gilded Balloon’s Katy and Karen Koren, Fringe First Award Winner Apphia Campbell, producer Richard Jordon, and acclaimed playwright, director and performer Tim Crouch. All SHEDx talks are available to watch for free here.
To find out more about SHEDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL, head over to shedinburgh.com.